Great
Escape to Poznan
Shortly
after Imperial Germany's defeat in World War I the Great Poland Uprising (1918-1919)
liberated the city and most of Greater Poland. The uprising lead to the
creation of the Second Polish Republic,
in which Poznań
became the capital of Poznan Province. During World War II Poland
suffered under Nazi occupation and the Polish population was severely
repressed. In 1945, the city was declared a Festung (a fortified locale in
which German forces were expected to conduct a last-ditch defense) by order of
Hitler. As Poznań lay on the direct
route from Warsaw to Berlin,
the Red Army first besieged and then ausalted the German defenses, culminating
in the assault on the Cytadela (citadelle) and resulting in serious damage to
the city. Since the war's end, Poznań
has been the capital of the surrounding area through administrative district
boundary changes in 1957, 1975, and 1999; Poznań
currently administrates Greater Poland Province one of 16 provinces in the
country.
Our
three day tour uses the beautiful and vibrant town of Poznan as it's base. This undiscovered
tourist town was a strategic garrison on the main axis of the Red Army advance
frm Warsaw to Berlin and saw heavy fighting between the two armies of Germany
and Russia in WWII. Our three day itiniery is as follows:
Day
1
Meet
and Greet the tour guides (introductions) at the Stary Rynek (town square). We will outline what
you will experience during our tour over the next three days. A fully qualified local
historian will be accompanying us for the duration and all transport will be in
a comfortable mini-bus to suit your every need. Today we will spend all our
time in and around Poznan
and will include:
A
visit the 'Swimming Baths' part of town and hear the history of the Jewish
population of Poznan
prior to and during WWII. We will explain how the Gauliter of Pozan (Arthur
Greiser) ruled the city and how under the mentorship of Heinrich Himmler he
used his power for repression of the Polish people.
A
visit to Citadella
Park and the battle for
this imporatant stronghold that at times resembled medieval warfare. Free entry
to the museum will be included with an opportunity to see heavy armour and
small arms used in the conflict. During this time we will discuss the conflict
for the city
Before
leaving Citadella Park we will pay our respects to the 50 Great Escape
victims who were murdered by the German Gestapo and whose ashes are interred in
the Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery.
If
we have time before stopping off for lunch we will visit parts of the city and
display authentic 'Then and Now' views of the battle for Poznan.
After
lunch we will visit Fort VII which will prove a very harrowing experience and
where we pay our respects to the Polish people who were held captive here and
murdered by the Germans. Above the entrance the original SS Runes are still
clearly visible. As well as free entry to the museum we have personal access to
all areas of the Fort which is not open to the public.
Day
2
You
will be collected from the town square and we will make our way to Zagan to
spend day at Stalagluft III. This where the Great Escape took place from and
unlike other tour companies, we will not rush your visit to
this fascinating location. We will discuss what life was like here for a
prisoner of war here during the camps existence and explore the tunnel 'Harry'
immortalised forever by the Hollywood movie of
the same name. Our trip back to Poznan
is approximately three hours and if there is time we will stop and explore the
remains of a secret arnaments factory used during WWII and hidden in the woods.
With the aid of our local tour guide he will lead you to this site which is
unknown to most visitors to the area.
Day3
This
exciting day starts when we collect you from the town square and transport you
to Hitler's Ost (East) Wall fortifications. During our time exploring this vast
complex of bunkers and forts you will have the opportinity to see nestled deep
in forests and off the beaten tracks, original 'Dragon's Teeth, a fortified swing
bridge and go underneath the ground and witness how these vast bunkers were
supposed to defend Hitler's Third Reich against the Red Army advancing from the
East.
As a great historian once said, "if you really want to get that clarity of understanding, you have to go stand there". That's what we do! We walk the ground and to make this as comfortable an adventure as possible we would suggest stout, comfortable footwear and waterproof clothing is worn. Although Polish summers can be extremely hot we would rather you come prepared for all eventualities.